stockwell



Q 7 1 6 488 Feb. 22, 1927. H. c STOCKWELL 18' MECHANICAL THEATER CENSOR' 4 Filed Sept. 19. 1921 PL I I Tg EglRSTER YOUR ()PiINlON OF 111 VEGOOD ESS ONE BUTTON ONCE E BILL MEDIUM @83 1? gmw 25 the device with an inscription inviting the Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

75 i 4.1111511T ED TATES PAT ENT Fri-cs.

HERBERT cfsTooKWELL, or os ANGELES, onnironnm,

MEGI 'IANICAL THEATER SENSOR.

. Applicationfiled September 19, 1921. Serial No.,501,721.

Thisinvention is broadlynew, basic and pioneer with respect to the purpose, method and means to which it appertains, and its ohject is'to obtain a consensus of opinion of theater patrons as to the character oi" the performances of such theater, and it includes a housing provided with individual counters, and individualpush buttons accessible to the patrons as they pass out of the theater, and adapted to be'operated by the patrons as they pass; and said'counters and push buttons are provided with marks indicating commendation and disapproval so that by 'operating the appropriate counter the patron canregister his opinion of the performance. 'Preferably the device is provided. with three counters,one marked Good, another .Medium and the third Poor or with like terms of commendation and disapproval.

fIncarrying out the invention :1 have proi vided the housing with a transparent window'and Withone or more lights inside said Window and have so placed the illumination inside the housing as to attract the attention of the passing patrons; and I also provide patrons to push a button, and thus to express their degree ofapproval or disapproval.

'An' object is toimprove the character of motion picture vaudeville and-theatrical perfor-Inances so that the proprietor or manager of the theater maybe guidedin his selection" of and plays; 1

an object isto provide a simple and conv'enientarrangement for concealment, oper- I ation andins'pectionofthecounters.

. The invention is not limited as to the performa' ce to be censored. Objects are cheap- .ness and attractive appearance.

Oth'er o'bj'ects, advantages and :eatu'resoi- I invention may appear from the accompanyassen'ibl ingdrawing,tlie subj'oineddetail description and the appended claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the invention in one of its forms.

Fig. 3 1s a cross-section on line indicated 7 at 00 Figs. '1 and 2.

.j' Fig.4 is a' fragmentalview of an element yJ-that is produced by closing the door ofthe housing,

Fig. is a view from the inside of the housing, showing elements in assembled position brought about by closing the door.-

The housing comprises a bOX 1 closed on live sides and open in front, and a door or closure 2 which-is shown'hinged at 3, at its lower edge, tothe lower margin of the box and adapted to close the box and to be fastened shut by suitable fastening means at.

The housing is shown provided with-three operative means, as handles in the form of spring returned push buttons 5, 6, 7, carried by and extending through the closure. Adjacent to said push buttons are the inscrip trons, respectively, '8, 9, 10 indicating Good, Medium, and Poor, arranged on a window a; in the door.

. Inside the housing there are provided means as the lamps 11 to illuminate the window and the lIlSOIlPtlODS'WhGlI the appropriate push button is pushed, and inside the housing there are provided counters '12, 13 and 14 adapted respectively to be operated by'the appropriate push buttons.

Said counters are rigidly mounted with respect to the box portion 1 of the housing; and actuators in the form of pawls'15,operable by the push buttons appropriate=thereto, are arranged to operate the respective when the closure is closed.

An announcer as the bell 18 is arranged to be operated by the handles so that each operation 01 a counter will be'announced, thus to satisfy the patron operating the handle, and also making any double voting apparent to the inspector and to the public. ihe result of the vote is continuously carried by the numbers on the counters and this can be noted at any time by opening the closure. Suitable fastening means are provided as at 19 for attaching the housing to a support 20.

The announcer is operated through a suitable connection operable by the. handles 5, 6, 7 when the door is closed and the handle moved to actuate a counter.

Such connection is shown in the form of a bail 21 pivoted by pivots 22 to the closure 2, and provided with a member 23 to operate the bell 18. The stem 24L of the operating handle extends through the bushing 11 that is secured in the opening 0 in the closure and terminates in a tappet 25 that abuts the end of, and is adapted to actuate the counter actuator 15, and is also adapted to operate the sounder, when they push button is pushed.

Said tappet 25 may be a detachable cap on the stem and forms a stop on the inside of the closure to prevent the handle from being accidentally withdrawn from the closure.

The resilient means 26 carried by the door, yieldingly holds the handle in initial position; and the resilient means 27 yieldingly holds the actuator 15 in its initial or retracted position The member 23 operates the pivoted crotch 28 of the bell hammer 29 which is yieldingly held in initial position by spring 30, operating to hold the crotch against stop 31.

In practice the device will be so placed as to attract the attention of the patrons of the theater as they come from the theater. lVhen the patrons respond to the invitation to register their opinions of the play, this is done by each pushing the appropriate push button.

The support of the push buttons may be arranged in any desired way and may be so arranged as to expose the numbers on the counters at the time the push button is operated; but it is deemed preferable to exclude the public from the knowledge of how the voting is proceeding; and the window a of the closure is preferably merely translucent rather than transparent, and is shown as made 01": ground glass so as to diffuse the light which illuminates the same. Only one light or a plurality of lamps may be employed as shown at 11.

In practice the housing will be applied to any suitable support at a placethat is in prominent view to the persons leaving the theater. The inscription announcing the purpose of the device is thus brought to the attention of the departing patrons who may respectively push any one of the buttons, as he desires, thus to register an opinion of the play. Each patron will naturally be deterred from registering more than once, by reason of the likelihood of being detected in any repeating, and also by reason of the public interest toward a fair expression of opinion.

I claim.

l. A theater censor comprising a box having a hinged cover; counters inside and fixed to said box; supports secured to said box; pawls slidably mounted in said supports and adapted to operate the counters; and push buttons slidably mounted in said cover and adapted to operate the pawls and accessible to the patrons of the theater.

2. In combination, a box; a closure hinged to said box and provided with an opening tl'ierethrough; a bushing in said opening; a handle outside said closure provided with a stem extending through said bushing; a stop on the inner end of said stem to retain the stem in the bushing; said stem being adapted to move to and fro through said bushing; a counter stationed in the box; an actuator for said counter arranged in the box in position to be actuated by the stem when the handle is actuated; and a spring to return the actuator to initial position when the handle is released. I

3. A theater censor comprising a box; a counter in said box; a closure hinged to said box; an actuator adapted to operate the counter and mounted in said box; and a push buttonslidably mounted in said closure and adapted to operate said actuator, the said push button having end engagement with the counter when the closure is closed.

4. A theater censor comprising a box having a hinged cover; a counter operable within and fixed to said box; an actuator for said counter arranged in said box; a push 

